Soil Suppliers

There are several different types of soil that are generally used in construction. Each type of soil varies in strength, appearance, price and quality. Identifying these types of soil can give you an idea of which soil to use for your project. The different types of soil include:

Clay Clay soil is not usually recommended by experts due to its properties. Clay tends to dry or moisten overtime which can potentially damage a building’s foundation by causing cracks and fissures. This being said, deeper soil depths can help increase the foundation’s stability.

Silt Silt is typically smooth to touch and holds water for long periods due to the soil’s smaller particles. Depending on the project, soil suppliers do not recommend silt as it tends to be cold and drains water poorly. This causes the soil to expand - stressing and weakening the foundation overtime.

Loam Loam is a highly recommended type of soil for construction. This is due to the material’s balanced properties that help maintain the structural integrity, as well as help maintain water at a balanced rate.

Various Types of Stones Soil consists of different stones such as limestone, bedrock, sandstone, shale and hard chalk, which have high bearing capacities. The angular shape of the stones are designed to fill every gap, providing better stability to construction projects.

Soil can make or break a construction project. This is one of the main reasons why engineers and other professionals examine the soil before the construction process commences to ensure structural stability. During analysis, landscape architects review and assess the land planning, current building codes and ordinances, construction specifications, grading and stormwater management in addition to sustainability.

Soil is vulnerable to erosion, so the stability of soil tends to become weaker as the construction process goes on. To help prevent any problems caused by erosion, it is ideal to limit the space where the soil is moved around during excavation.

The quality of soil used in construction is different from the quality of soil used in gardens and other agriculture-related projects. Garden soil is heavily filled with organic matter which is beneficial for plant growth. Garden soil is also best when compact to help maintain water at a balanced rate.

On the other hand, construction soil is tested to indicate its stability for any construction projects. Construction soil is usually firm and robust to help strengthen a building’s structural integrity.